Anglo Leasing

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by the Solicitor General, Vera Baird, on 11 February (Official Report, House of Commons, col. 1990W), why the investigation into Anglo Leasing was terminated in January 2009.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The director of the Serious Fraud Office exercised his discretion to terminate the investigation because there was no reasonable prospect of a conviction without evidence being obtained from Kenya.
	If evidence is received from Kenya in the future, the director will consider reopening the investigation.

Armed Forces

Lord Selkirk of Douglas: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they aim to have military capability at least equal to that of France.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: We aim to have military capability appropriate to the security challenges the UK faces.

Armed Forces: Personnel

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what were the figures on 1 January for (a) the established strength, (b) the nominal strength, (c) the number of personnel fully fit and available for duty, and (d) the number of personnel deployed on operations for (1) the Royal Navy; (2) the Royal Marines; (3) the army; and (4) the Royal Air Force.

Baroness Taylor of Bolton: Figures for established and nominal strength of the Armed Forces are available from the Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) organisation at www.dasa.mod.uk.
	The following figures are at 1 January 2009.
	Some 152,000 (approximately 85 per cent) personnel are fully fit, while some 25,000 (approximately 14 per cent) are classed as medically restricted in that they can still contribute but not fully.
	The total number of Armed Forces personnel deployed on UK military operations, based on endorsed figures, was in the region of 17,000. Of these, approximately 30 per cent were Royal Navy personnel (including Royal Marines), approximately 50 per cent were Army personnel and approximately 20 per cent were Royal Air Force personnel.

Audit Commission: Complaints

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many complaints the Audit Commission dealt with in each of the past five years regarding (a) parish councils, (b) district councils, (c) borough councils, (d) metropolitan borough councils, and (e) county councils; and of those complaints how many were (1) upheld, and (2) dismissed; and how much the Audit Commission charged each tier of local government to cover the costs of the complaints.

Baroness Andrews: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the noble Lady direct.

Bailiffs

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the HM Court Service contract requires contractors to refer back to magistrates' courts before using the power of forced entry; if so, in what words; and whether there are plans to change practice in future contracts.

Lord Bach: The contract between Her Majesty's Courts Service and the private bailiff companies that undertake work on behalf of magistrates' courts does not contain a specific requirement for private bailiffs to refer back to magistrates' courts before using the power of forced entry. The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 gives approved enforcement agents who execute warrants on behalf of Her Majesty's Courts Service the power to enter premises by force if necessary.
	As part of the tender process for awarding these contracts, the internal controls operated by the contractors were reviewed to ensure the arrangements to use forced entry are controlled and only used where appropriate. Her Majesty's Courts Service monitors the ongoing use of these powers through a standard monthly management and reporting process. There have been only two occasions since the contracts commenced on 1 April 2006 where these powers have been used.
	It is not intended to change this practice in future contracts. However this arrangement will be kept under review.

Bailiffs

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether HM Court Service expects bailiffs to explain their enforcement powers to defaulters as a matter of best practice; if so, whether they expect this explanation to include bailiffs' power to force entry; and in what words in what document this expectation is conveyed to bailiffs.

Lord Bach: It is expected that all Her Majesty's Courts Service civil enforcement officers and the approved enforcement agents who execute warrants on behalf of magistrates' courts explain their powers to defaulters as a matter of best practice.
	This requirement is made specific in respect of the use of forced entry through guidance issued to all civilian enforcement officers and approved enforcement agents on the use of the search and entry powers under the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004. The wording used in the guidance states that before applying the powers of forced entry a civilian enforcement officer or approved enforcement agent should always explain (to the defaulter) that they have the power to force entry and will use that power if the occupier is not willing to let them in peacefully.
	The contracts held between Her Majesty's Courts Service and the approved enforcement agents sets out the protocols and procedures that approved enforcement agents must adhere to when executing warrants on behalf of Her Majesty's Courts Service. Specifically Schedule 4, the contract service specification, details the procedures to be taken when contact is made with the defaulter. The wording used in the specification states that when contact is made the authorised employee shall provide in writing the powers vested in the contractor. This notification will include the powers of forced entry provided under the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act.

Bailiffs

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether HM Court Service expects bailiffs to use their power to force entry to vacant premises, or whether they are expected only to use it to force entry when someone is inside and refusing entry.

Lord Bach: The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 at Schedule 4A sets out the powers of authorised officers executing warrants. Section 1 defines "authorised officer" as civilian enforcement officers or approved enforcement agents.
	Section 2(1) and (2) states that an authorised officer may enter and search any premises for the purpose of executing a warrant of arrest, commitment or detention issued in proceedings for or in connection with any criminal offence. The power may be exercised (a) only to the extent that it is reasonably required for that purpose; and (b) only if the officer has reasonable grounds for believing that the person whom he is seeking is on the premises.
	Section 3 states that an authorised officer may enter and search any premises for the purpose of executing a warrant of distress issued under Section 76 of the Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 for default in paying a sum adjudged to be paid by a conviction. The power must be exercised only to the extent that it is reasonably required for the purpose.
	Detailed guidance is available in HM Courts Service's Search and Entry Powers (Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004) Guidance to Civilian Enforcement Officers and Approved Enforcement Agents. A copy is in the Library of the House.
	If a defaulter can prevent the execution of a warrant merely by refusing to open his or her front door, the practical value and credibility of enforcement proceedings is substantially impaired. The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 at Schedule 4A now gives civilian enforcement officers (CEOs) and approved enforcement agents (AEAs) an explicit power to enter premises in order to execute warrants and to use reasonable force in order to do so. This provides CEOs and AEAs with a defence to any civil and criminal liability that would otherwise arise. It is also applicable to the execution of warrants of distress for criminal enforcement.

Bailiffs

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions during the most recent year for which records are available the power of forced entry has been used by HM Court Service bailiffs; where in the country these incidents have occurred; and whether on each occasion the bailiffs have complied with HM Court Service requirements or guidance.

Lord Bach: Since the introduction of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, records provided show that the power to force entry has been used to execute warrants of arrest by magistrates' court civilian enforcement officers (CEOs) on 386 occasions. This is broken down to:
	259 occasions in the north-west region;66 occasions in the Midlands region;20 occasions in the south-west region; and 41 occasions in the south-east region.
	The power to force entry has been used to execute warrants of distress by private bailiffs contracted to Her Majesty's Courts Service (HMCS) on two occasions in the south-east region. HMCS does not have a breakdown for each of the individual years available but can confirm that on all occasions HMCS requirements have been met and guidance followed.

Bailiffs

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish the names and addresses of certificated bailiffs on the internet; and, if so, how bailiffs and their families will be protected from aggrieved defaulters.

Lord Bach: We plan to publish a register of certificated bailiffs on the HM Courts Service website. It will include the bailiff's full name, the name of the bailiff's employer or company to which the bailiff is contracted, the issuing court, date of issue and expiry of the certificate. No addresses will be disclosed.

Bailiffs

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish on the internet the names and addresses of Crown bailiffs, including county court bailiffs and fines officers and civil enforcement officers employed at magistrates' courts; and, if so, how bailiffs and their families will be protected from aggrieved defaulters.

Lord Bach: We have no plans to publish this information.

Bailiffs

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government which bailiffs have taken the HM Court Service approved course on the use of their powers of forced entry.

Lord Bach: All of Her Majesty's Courts Service civilian enforcement officers and private contracted bailiffs are required to have been trained on the use of forced entry.
	Following the introduction of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004, all Her Majesty's Courts Service civilian enforcement officers undertook mandatory training on the use of forced entry. Newly appointed civilian enforcement officers also undertake this training.
	The contract between Her Majesty's Courts Service and private bailiff companies that execute warrants on behalf of magistrates' courts requires all bailiffs who work on the contracts to have completed training of a similar standard. As part of the monthly performance monitoring procedures required under the contracts, the private bailiff companies must record all training activities undertaken by bailiffs and report these to Her Majesty's Courts Service regional management. This reporting includes those who have completed the search and entry training.

Children: Care

The Earl of Listowel: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the new economics foundation report, A false economy: how failing to invest in the care system for children will cost us all.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: We welcome this report. Since 2000-01, local authority expenditure on services for looked-after children has increased from £1.3 billion to over £2.1 billion in 2006-07 and as a result outcomes for children in care have been improving in recent years. However, the Government recognise that more needs to be done and the Children and Young Persons Act 2008 makes the necessary legislative changes to support implementation of our Care Matters programme of reform. We agree that children in care need to be placed in the setting which best meets their needs and a key priority is to ensure that children are placed in the most appropriate accommodation.
	Our ambition is to enhance the range and choice of placements for looked-after children, while ensuring that all placements are of a suitable quality. The steps we are taking to improve local commissioning, in particular the new sufficiency duty introduced by the Children and Young Persons Act, are key to delivering this ambition.
	Residential care must be of a high standard and staffed by a trained and well supported workforce. We know from Ofsted inspections that a small minority of children's homes do not manage to meet these standards. That is why we are revising the national minimum standards for children's homes and strengthening Ofsted's powers to enforce these standards through regulations under the Children and Young Persons Act 2008.
	To achieve our ambitions for all children in care, we need a better understanding of what types of provision for children in care are most effective at meeting different children's needs. That is why we are piloting multi-dimensional treatment foster care, and social pedagogy in children's homes, to develop a much better understanding of what works, particularly for the most vulnerable children.
	The local and national-level performance frameworks for looked-after children reflect the importance that central and local government and our partners place on achieving real improvements in outcomes for children in care.

Children: Poverty

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government what funding and other support they will provide to implement the proposals in their consultation Ending Child Poverty: Making it Happen in Northern Ireland.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: Ending Child Poverty: Making it Happen sets out our plans to enshrine in legislation the Government's commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020. It seeks views on proposals to legislate to establish an accountability framework and to drive progress towards the 2020 goal at both local and national levels.
	Ministers are currently seeking opportunities to discuss in detail the proposals in Ending Child Poverty: Making it Happen with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive to determine the best way to ensure the proposals apply across the UK.
	The consultation paper sets out the Government's strategic priorities. Previous Budgets and Pre-Budget Reports have announced a series of investments which have helped lift 600,000 children in the UK out of relative low-income poverty since 1998, and measures announced in and since Budget 2007 are expected to lift around 500,000 children out of poverty. Decisions on financial support will be taken in Budgets and Pre-Budget Reports in the usual way.

Children: Poverty

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they had with the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland with a view to developing the proposals in their consultation Ending Child Poverty: Making it Happen.

Baroness Morgan of Drefelin: The goal to eradicate child poverty is UK-wide. The Government work closely with the Northern Ireland Executive through the ongoing work of the Four Nations Child Poverty Group.
	Ministers are currently seeking opportunities to discuss in detail the proposals in Ending Child Poverty: Making it Happen with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive to determine the best way to ensure the proposals apply across the UK.

China: Tibet

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make representations to the government of China to release 17 Tibetans detained following events on 15 and 16 February in Lithang county of the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture; and to seek the removal of restrictions on the local population.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The Government are aware of reports of the detention of a number of Tibetans in Lithang County for protesting in support of the Dalai Lama. We are concerned at these and other reports which indicate that the Chinese authorities have instigated a crackdown in Tibet in advance of sensitive anniversaries during March. These concerns have been raised at all levels, including by my right honourable friend the Prime Minister during the latest UK/China summit.
	As well as continuing to urge the Chinese authorities that only peaceful dialogue between the two sides will result in a lasting and peaceful solution to the problem of Tibet, we shall also continue to lobby for all those who are detained to be given fair trials.
	With regards to the removal of restrictions on the local people, we would urge the Chinese authorities to restore Tibetans' freedom of movement as soon as possible, as we believe this is a fundamental human right.

Civil Service: Bonuses

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they define bonus payments (a) in the context of the civil service; and (b) in respect of the banking institutions in which they have a controlling interest.

Lord Myners: Some civil servants are eligible to receive non-consolidated performance payments, in recognition of their performance in achieving agreed objectives. These payments are ring-fenced at the beginning of the year from the existing pay bill of departments and are distributed to staff at the end of the year based on performance. They are also non-consolidated and as such they have to be re-earned each year and do not add to future pay bill costs.
	In respect of the banking institutions, UK Financial Investments (UKFI) manages the Government's shareholdings in recapitalised banks. UKFI has a role in scrutinising banks' compliance with the recapitalisation conditions and also in scrutinising remuneration policies, to protect the interests of the taxpayer as major shareholder.
	The Government have ensured that none of the banks accessing the recapitalisation scheme will award cash bonuses for 2008 to board members, and the Government approve the terms of remuneration for senior executives at banks in temporary public ownership.
	The Government recognise that companies need to be able to recruit and retain good people and bonuses can play a role in attracting talent and in motivating staff; however, going forward, bonus payments must be based on long-term sustainable performance in the interests of shareholders. Bonus payments which are subject to deferral and appropriate clawback properly reward long-term performance and ensure bonuses are not solely based on past performance but also shape future performance.

Compensation: Pleural Plaque

Lord Dixon: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will decide on compensation for suffering from pleural plaques, following the House of Lords' judgment on 10 October 2007, and the subsequent representations and the consultation exercise carried out by the Government which finished in September 2008.

Lord Bach: The consultation on pleural plaques closed on 1 October 2008 and has generated a large number of responses. We are carefully analysing all the submissions received, many of which are detailed and complex, and will seek to publish a response paper outlining the way forward as soon as possible.

Conflict Prevention Pool

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government which departments are responsible for funding for the Conflict Prevention Pool; what projects in which countries are currently being supported; and whether there is any planned change to that.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The Conflict Prevention Pool (CPP) is funded directly by the Treasury and managed jointly by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Department for International Development (DfID) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The CPP budget allocation for the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) period is £112 million in 2008-09, £109 million in 2009-10 and £106 million in 2010-11.
	The CPP currently funds a range of strategic programmes covering geographic areas including south Asia, Africa and the Middle East, and cross-cutting thematic programmes in support of international capacity building, security and small-arms control.
	In 2008-09 over 400 projects are being funded through the CPP. Projects cover a wide range of activities to deliver long-term conflict prevention focusing where the UK can have its biggest impact. Key areas of intervention include supporting the peace process and conflict prevention in Sudan, strategic support to the security sector in Sierra Leone, support to the UN Department for Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and security sector reform in the Balkans.
	The resource envelope for conflict remains as set out at the start of the CSR period, although this is currently under discussion. DfID, FCO and the MoD keep all activities under constant review in order to respond to changing demands.

Co-operation Ireland

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 24 February (WA 38) concerning the cost of a reception at Hillsborough on 24 November 2008, what are the details of the costs.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The reception hosted for Co-operation Ireland was attended by 324 guests. The total cost for the reception of £5,736.35 is broken down as follows:
	food—£ 4,758.75; and beverages—£ 977.60.
	The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland recognises he has a responsibility to keep down the costs of receptions and he remains determined to do so.
	However, it is important to understand that these events provide the community with the opportunity to recognise the many achievements of those working and residing in Northern Ireland. It is also important that we continue to maintain and develop the strong sense of a shared community in Northern Ireland.

Department for International Development: DEL

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Statement by Lord Tunnicliffe on 12 February on the Department for International Development's departmental expenditure limit (WS 82-83), which of the projects in the other departments to which Department for International Development funding has been transferred are new and which were already in those departments' plans; and, of the latter, how they were intended to be funded.

Lord Tunnicliffe: £1,650,000 transferred to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is for existing projects in connection with the 2012 Olympics relating to the development of sport in developing countries, which were always intended to be part-funded by the Department for International Development (DfID).
	£300,000 transferred to the Ministry of Defence in respect of payments to locally engaged staff in Iraq is to cover the costs of DfID's locally engaged (LE) Iraqi staff under the HMG assistance scheme outlined by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in a Written Ministerial Statement on 30 October 2007 (Official Report, col. WS91). As an employer, DfID has approximately 40 former Iraqi staff who may be eligible under this scheme. We have judged that the best way for DfID to make payments to these staff is through the system the MoD has set up to do this.
	£1,000,000 transferred to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in respect of the returns and reintegration fund is for an existing project that was always intended to be part-funded by DfID.
	£5,000 transferred to the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills in respect of the skills strategy for government project is a new cross-government project being funded by all government departments.
	£6,716,000 transferred to the FCO, and £18,899,000 transferred to the Ministry of Defence, in respect of the Conflict Prevention Pool (CPP), is the allocation of the remaining CPP funds for 2008-09. CPP resources are voted in the first instance to DfID as the financial manager for the overall CPP, but management of the specific projects is shared between departments. The spring supplementaries are used to transfer funds to the MoD and FCO in line with their project spend. Of a budget of £112 million in 2008-09, the MoD will spend approximately 40 per cent, the FCO 30 per cent, and DfID 30 per cent.
	£216,000 transferred to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in respect of a conflict pool project in Ghana relates to the observation of a run-off election held on 29 December, and is a new project.
	£917,000 transferred to the Ministry of Defence in respect of stabilisation aid fund projects in Iraq is the partial return of funds transferred to DfID from the MoD earlier in 2008-09, due to changes in forecasted spend on the projects.
	£1,000,000 transferred to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in respect of a police reform project in Pakistan is a new project.

Department for International Development: DEL

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Statement by Lord Tunnicliffe on 12 February on the Department for International Development's departmental expenditure limit (WS 82-83), what existing or future projects have been cut from the Department for International Development's previous programme to allow the transfer of funds to the Ministry of Defence, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Lord Tunnicliffe: No existing or future projects have been cut from the Department for International Development's (DfID) previous programmes to allow these transfers of funds. Funds were already set aside in DfID's budget plans to cover most of these items; the remainder have been financed from DfID's departmental unallocated provision.

Department for International Development: DEL

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Statement by Lord Tunnicliffe on 12 February on the Department for International Development's departmental expenditure limit (WS 82—83), why Department for International Development funds are being transferred to the London 2012 Olympics.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The £1,650,000 transfer to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will support activities linked to the London 2012 Olympic Games which are designed to increase participation in sport in developing countries.
	£650,000 will support elements of the International Inspiration project—which aims to use the power of sport to transform the lives of children and young people of all abilities, in schools and communities across the world. It aims to help Governments, parents and schools in some of the world's poorest countries to improve the health and education of children.
	£1,000,000 will support the International Sport Development Initiative, which aims to increase the opportunities for young people in developing countries to participate in sport, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa.

Department for International Development: DEL

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Statement by Lord Tunnicliffe on 12 February on the Department for International Development's departmental expenditure limit (WS 82-83), which projects have been targeted for the transfer of funds from the Department for International Development to the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Lord Tunnicliffe: £300,000 has been transferred to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in respect of payments to locally engaged staff in Iraq to cover the costs of DfID's locally engaged (LE) Iraqi staff under the HMG assistance scheme outlined by the Foreign Secretary in a Written Ministerial Statement on 30 October 2007. As an employer, DfID has approximately 40 former Iraqi staff who may be eligible under this scheme. We have judged that the best way for DfID to make payments to these staff is through the system the MoD has set up to do this.
	£1,000,000 has been transferred to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in respect of the returns and reintegration fund (RRF). The primary aim of the RRF is to increase the number of foreign national prisoners and failed asylum seekers who return to their countries of origin, while ensuring that those who return are effectively reintegrated. DfID has agreed to transfer funds to the FCO budget to contribute to this cross-government fund (alongside the FCO, UKBA, and the MoJ).
	£6,716,000 has been transferred to the FCO, and £18,899,000 has been transferred to the MoD, in respect of projects funded from the Conflict Prevention Pool (CPP). CPP resources are voted in the first instance to DfID as the financial manager for the overall CPP, but management of the specific projects is shared between departments. The spring supplementaries are used to transfer funds to the MoD and FCO in line with their project spend. Of a budget of £112 million in 2008-09, the MoD will spend approximately 40 per cent, the FCO 30 per cent, and DfID 30 per cent.
	£216,000 has been transferred to the FCO in respect of a Conflict Prevention Pool project in Ghana relating to the observation of a run-off election held on 29 December.
	£917,000 has been transferred to the MoD in respect of stabilisation aid fund projects in Iraq, representing the partial return of funds transferred to DfID from the MoD earlier in 2008-09, due to changes in forecasted spend on the projects.
	£1,000,000 has been transferred to the FCO in respect of a police reform project in Pakistan.

Department for International Development: DEL

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Statement by Lord Tunnicliffe on 12 February (WS 82-83) on the Department for International Development's departmental expenditure, why most of the transfers are from the Department for International Development to other departments.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The specific reasons for each budget transfer are detailed in the Written Statement (WS 82-83). There are two general reasons why most of these are transfers from the Department for International Development (DfID) to other government departments:
	DfID is the financial manager of the Conflict Prevention Pool (CPP). CPP resources are allocated in the first instance to DfID, but management of the specific projects is shared between DfID, the FCO and the MoD. The spring supplementaries are used to transfer funds to the MoD and FCO in line with their project spend. Of a budget of £112 million in 2008-09, the MoD will spend approximately 40 per cent, the FCO 30 per cent, and DfID 30 per cent; and DfID is involved in part-funding several projects that contribute towards DfID's objectives, but are managed by other government departments. Examples include the International Inspiration Project (led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport), which aims to use the power of sport to transform the lives of children and young people of all abilities, in schools and communities across the world; and the returns and reintegration fund (led by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office), the primary aim of which is to increase the number of foreign national prisoners and failed asylum seekers who return to their countries of origin, while ensuring that those who return are effectively reintegrated.

Department for International Development: DEL

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Statement by Lord Tunnicliffe on 12 February (WS 82-83) on the Department for International Development's departmental expenditure, whether similar levels of funds will be transferred from the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the Department for International Development.

Lord Tunnicliffe: No further transfers of funds will take place in the financial year 2008-09.

Department for International Development: DEL

Baroness Northover: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Statement by Lord Tunnicliffe on 12 February (WS 82-83) on the Department for International Development's departmental expenditure, whether any part of the transfers qualify as official development assistance (ODA) under the original allocation to the Department for International Development, and therefore will not count following the transfer; and, if so, whether that represents a decline in the ODA/gross national income ratio.

Lord Tunnicliffe: Whether UK government spending counts as official development assistance (ODA) depends on the activities funded, not on which department finances them. The Conflict Prevention Pool (CPP) and stabilisation aid fund (SAF) both operate on the basis that they will finance some activities which qualify as ODA, and some which will not. As a result some of the transfers to the CPP and SAF may not score as ODA. We expect that most of the other transferred funds will finance activities which score as ODA. Overall, the transfers will not significantly affect the UK's ODA/gross national income ratio.

Drugs: Degradable

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will establish a new programme with the drug industry to design products with a degradable rate that limits their accumulation in the environment.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Her Majesty's Government do not see the need to establish a new programme with the drug industry specifically to design products with a degradable rate that limits their accumulation in the environment. In order for medicinal products to be granted a marketing authorisation the Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has to be satisfied that the product is efficacious, safe and of acceptable quality. Part of the quality aspects of a medicinal product is for the company to demonstrate that the product is sufficiently stable over the shelf life of the product.
	In accordance with European medicines legislation the marketing authorisation applications of all new medicinal products are required to have an evaluation of the impact of the medicine on the environment (environment risk assessment or ERA). This is required so that any special methods of disposal can be identified and advice given in the product literature.

Electoral Register: Northern Ireland

Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government who initiated the case brought by the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland against Mr Ian Withers for not giving personal information for inclusion on the Northern Ireland electoral register; and what penalty was imposed on Mr Withers.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: As this is an operational matter I have referred your Question to the chief electoral officer for Northern Ireland, who will respond to you directly. A copy of this letter will be placed in the Library.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 10 February (WA 176), how the three-dimensional organisation of an embryo is defined under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990; and which section of that Act precludes the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority from subjecting an embryonic entity created in vitro to regulation as an embryo where it has not been demonstrated as non-living or non-human.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 19 March 2008 (WA 44) and 10 February 2009 (WA 176), how the organisational structure of a viable embryo is apparent in an entity if it "looks like semolina and it stays like that", as described by the head of the Institute of Human Genetics at Newcastle University on 1 April 2008; and what evidence suggests that currently licensed cytoplasmic hybrids can develop a primitive streak, in the light of a recent report in the journal Cloning and Stem Cells.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 12 January (WA 96-97) and 10 February (WA 176), how the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority classifies an outgrowing embryo in terms of ability to develop a primitive streak if the authority does not consider published data regarding the reported ability of primate embryonic stem cells to exhibit behaviour consistent with early primitive streak formation when grown at high densities; and how the density of cells within an outgrowing embryo compares to a conventional culture of embryonic stem cells.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Subsection 1(1)(a) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 defines an embryo as a live human embryo where fertilisation is complete. As I stated in my Answer of 10 February 2009 (col. WA176), the embryonic masses that form when embryos outgrow their structure are not considered by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to be embryos because they do not have the 3D organisation of an embryo, do not have a relationship between extra-embryonic and embryonic tissue essential for normal development and do not develop a primitive streak. However, the HFEA regulates the creation and use of embryonic masses as part of its routine work of examining the creation, use and storage of all human embryos at licensed centres.
	The HFEA has advised me that its Scientific and Clinical Advances Advisory Committee (formerly knows as the Scientific and Clinical Advances Group) is of the view that the embryonic masses that form when embryos outgrow their structure would not develop a primitive streak but it is possible that primitive streak-like cells may be detected. I have no further comments on the remarks of the Head of the Institute of Human Genetics at Newcastle University.

Embryology

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 10 February (WA 176), whether cloned human blastocysts corresponding to those described in the journal Nature (volume 439, pages 212-15) would always fall within the regulatory remit of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

Lord Darzi of Denham: Any embryo created in the laboratory, regardless of its potential for development, would fall within the regulatory remit of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

EU: Regional Development Fund

Baroness Quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they do not support an extension of the 2000-06 European Regional Development Fund programmes for English regions but support such an extension for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Baroness Andrews: The department is only responsible for the decision that affects the 2000-06 European regional development fund programmes for the English regions.
	It has become clear that extension of the 2000-06 programmes cannot be done without incurring significant additional costs and these costs cannot be met without reducing expenditure elsewhere. The programmes are closing and there would be additional administrative costs in extending them. No free money has been offered by the European Community.
	The devolved Administrations responsible for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with proportionally larger regional support budgets, accepted the offer believing that they can benefit from the European Commission's offer and that is their decision.

Faith Groups

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many faith-based advisory groups they have established in each of the past five years.

Baroness Andrews: The Faith Communities Consultative Council was established in 2006. The council brings together representatives of the nine historic faith communities living in the United Kingdom, and of ecumenical and interfaith bodies; and is the main forum for discussion between government departments and faith communities. My department is presently collecting information on other faith-based advisory groups that Whitehall departments have established. I will write to the noble Baroness when this information is to hand, and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Food: Pork and Bacon

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 3 February (WA 105), why they did not give statutory force to the Food Standards Agency voluntary guidance that bacon produced from imported pork should not be described as British bacon.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Government did not give statutory force to the Food Standards Agency voluntary guidance that bacon produced from imported pork should not be described as British bacon for the following reasons. The United Kingdom and the European Commission (EC) are signatories to the World Trade Organisation agreements which stipulate that the country where the last significant change took place is the country of origin. Neither the UK nor the Commission can prevent in law a producer labelling their product in accordance with this principle.
	Furthermore, food labelling rules are harmonised in the European Union and a requirement that bacon could only be called British if it originated from British pigs would intrude on EC competence. As I indicated in my earlier answer, these rules are under review.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Non-governmental Organisations

Lord Lea of Crondall: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding of United Kingdom development- or democracy-related non-governmental organisations came from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the last financial year for which figures are available.

Lord Malloch-Brown: As detailed in the report on funding to UK-based third-sector organisations for the financial year 2007-08, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provided £2,104,403 to UK development and democracy-related non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The FCO recognises that NGOs can play a vital role in supporting change towards more accountable, responsive governance and has used this funding to support development and democracy through a diverse range of projects.

Gambling

Lord Hanningfield: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many new establishments have received gambling licences in each of the years since the Gambling Act 2005 came into force; what is the total number for the East of England; and how this is broken down by county in the East of England.

Lord Carter of Barnes: Local licensing authorities are responsible for considering and issuing gambling premises licences under the Gambling Act 2005 and providing information on premises licences to the Gambling Commission.
	The Gambling Commission has provided the following information on the number of new premises licences issued since 1 September 2007, when the Gambling Act 2005 came into force, based on information provided by licensing authorities in England, Scotland and Wales. The numbers presented are gross, and do not reflect premises licences revoked, surrendered or otherwise falling into abeyance.
	
		
			 Period Total Number of Premises Licences granted Number of Premises Licences for the East of England (as defined by Government Office Region) Number of Premises Licences granted for Norfolk Number of Premises Licences granted for Suffolk 
			 1 Sep 2007-31 Aug 2008 8,481 834 176 101 
			 1 Sep 2008 to present 426 36 6 6 
		
	
	
		
			 Period Number of Premises Licences granted for Essex Number of Premises Licences granted for Cambs Number of Premises Licences granted for Herts Number of Premises Licences granted for Beds 
			 1 Sep 2007-31 Aug 2008 284 60 124 89 
			 1 Sep 2008 to present 13 5 5 1 
		
	
	The Gambling Commission has advised that full information has not yet been provided by 28 licensing authorities, one of which is in the East of England.
	The comparatively large number of premises licences issued in the year 2007-08 reflects the coming into force of the Gambling Act 2005 on 1 September 2007.

Gaza

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government when will they resume their discussions with the Government of Israel on the use of white phosphorus shells in the recent military action in Gaza.

Lord Malloch-Brown: We are concerned about reports into the use of white phosphorus in the recent conflict in Gaza. We look forward to the results of the investigation which has been launched by the Israeli Government.
	My honourable friend the Minister of State, Bill Rammell, reiterated our concerns on 24 February 2009 (Official Report, House of Commons, col. 2004W) and we will continue to do so.

Government: Accommodation

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether grace and favour accommodation occupied by Government ministers is taxable as a benefit in kind.

Lord Myners: The tax rules that apply when someone is provided with accommodation because of his or her office or employment are the same for government Ministers as for other taxpayers and would depend on personal circumstances. Guidance on the tax rules can be found in HMRC's employment income manual, a copy of which can be found on HMRC's website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/manuals/eimanual/EIM11331.htm.
	A booklet entitled MPs, Ministers and Tax, which covers related questions, has been placed in the Library of the House.

Heritage: Minton Archive

Lord Howarth of Newport: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have now taken to secure the Minton Archive; and what further steps they will take in this respect.

Lord Carter of Barnes: KPS Capital Partners, LP, which has agreed to buy Waterford Wedgwood UK plc, has not yet indicated its intentions regarding the Minton Archive. A number of government and heritage bodies are working together to ensure that, if an opportunity to acquire the archive arises, every effort may be made to preserve it intact and make it available to the public. The National Archives and the Business Archives Council, with other partners, have produced proposals to address the longer-term issues posed by the vulnerability of business archives and these will be vigorously pursued in view of the heightened risks to such material in the current economic climate.

NHS: Constitution

Baroness Barker: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the remarks by Lord Darzi of Denham on 23 February 2008 (Official Report, House of Lords, col. GC 27), what is the extensive communications plan to communicate the NHS Constitution; who they consulted in drawing up the plan; what is the estimated cost of implementing the plan; and whether they will place a copy of the plan in the Library of the House.

Lord Darzi of Denham: A reference group of National Health Service communications leads representing the range of NHS organisations (strategic health authorities, acute trusts, mental health trusts and primary care trusts) was involved in developing the communications strategy to support engagement with the NHS Constitution.
	A phased approach to communications has been put in place.
	The first phase is to lay the foundations for ongoing communications. Part of this phase involves making the constitution accessible to all, and supporting NHS bodies in their work to promote the constitution locally among staff and patients.
	The second phase focuses on engaging NHS staff with both their own rights and pledges and those of patients, so that they are well placed and equipped to have meaningful conversations with patients. This phase will be supported by a toolkit of resources, including a short film, posters, staff leaflet, messages for managers and induction, briefing presentation and an e-learning module.
	The third phase is to further engage patients and the public so that they are aware of their rights and responsibilities, and the NHS's pledges to them.
	The total cost of implementing this communications plan to date has been about £300,000.

Petitions

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many petitions the Department of Health received in (a) 2007 and (b) 2008; what steps the department has taken to publicise them; and whether they will place the text of the petitions received and the number of signatures in the Library of the House.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what procedures the Department of Health has for receiving, acknowledging, dealing with and responding to petitions that it receives from members of the public.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The department deals with petitions from members of the public as items of correspondence. Upon receipt, petitions are logged on to the department's correspondence database and a letter of reply is prepared in line with the normal correspondence performance standards. Receipt is not acknowledged unless specifically requested. As the database does not differentiate petitions from other items of correspondence, the information on numbers of petitions requested by the noble Lord could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Petitions

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many petitions the Department for International Development received in (a) 2007, and (b) 2008; what steps the Department has taken to publicise them; and whether they will place the text of the petitions received and the number of signatures in the Library of the House.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The Department for International Development (DfID) received seven petitions in 2008 and six petitions in 2007, mainly as a result of civil society campaigning. DfID does not publicise these petitions but we do post a reply to major campaigns on our website at www.dfid.gov.uk/news/campaign-responses.asp.
	The text of these petitions can usually be found on the website of the civil society group organising the campaign. A copy of the text of the petitions, along with the number of signatures received, will be placed in the Library of the House.

Petitions

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what procedures the Department for International Development has for receiving, acknowledging, dealing with and responding to petitions that it receives from members of the public.

Lord Tunnicliffe: The Department for International Development (DFID) mainly receives petitions from members of the public supporting campaigns run by civil society groups. We send a reply to the campaign organiser and post a reply on our website at www.dfid.gov.uk/news/campaign-responses. asp.
	If a petition which is part of a campaign is accompanied by a covering letter from, for example, a school or a faith group, we also send a reply to the petition organiser.
	DfID occasionally receives petitions which are not part of civil society campaigns. These are received, acknowledged, dealt with and responded to in the same way as other correspondence received by the department. A letter is sent to the originator of the petition confirming receipt and addressing the issues raised.

Piracy

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government in which jurisdiction, and under which laws, pirates captured by Royal Navy forces were last prosecuted.

Lord Malloch-Brown: The last pirates detained by the Royal Navy were those captured by HMS "Cumberland" in the Gulf of Aden on 11 November 2008. As piracy is a crime of universal jurisdiction, they were transferred to Kenya for investigation. They have been charged with piracy offences under Kenyan law and are currently being prosecuted in Kenya.

Piracy

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether piracy is an offence under the law of the United Kingdom; and what is the maximum penalty upon conviction.

Lord Bach: The Piracy Act 1837 deals with piracy with violence; the punishment for piracy is life imprisonment. In addition, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982, which defines piracy, was incorporated into UK law by the Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act 1997, Section 26 and Schedule 5.

Places of Religious Worship

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord West of Spithead on 12 February (WA 235), which faiths and denominations have met the criteria and are recognised by the Registrar General for the purposes of the Places of Worship Registration Act 1855; and how many places of worship of each faith and denomination have been registered.

Lord West of Spithead: I refer the noble Baroness to my Written Answer to her on 25 February (Official Report, col. WA 91).

Planning: Eco-towns

Lord Hanningfield: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the cost of the consultation exercise on the eco-town proposals; and what has been the effect on the cost of the extension to 30 April.

Baroness Andrews: In terms of the cost of the consultation exercise I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given in the other place to the honourable Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Mr Shapps) on 23 February 2009 (Official Report, House of Commons (col. 108W). This sets out the costs for the different elements of the eco-towns programme, which input into the Government's eco-towns consultation.
	The Government do not expect their extension to the eco-town consultation to impact significantly on the costs of the programme. Importantly it will ensure that all parties, irrespective of their views, are given the full opportunity to have their say and consider the financial viability study on the eco-towns programme, which was published on 5 March 2009 and is available on Communities and Local Government's website.

Police: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they propose to remove any religious discrimination in the recruitment of officers to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Government are committed to reaching 30 per cent Catholic composition within the Police Service of Northern Ireland regulars by 2010-11. When this target is reached the temporary 50:50 recruitment provisions will end.

Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government which groups have been funded under the Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund in each of the past three years; and how much they have received.

Baroness Andrews: The preventing violent extremism pathfinder fund provided £6 million in funding to around 70 priority local authorities in 2007-08. The Secretary of State for Communities wrote to Paul Goodman MP in January 2008 providing a list of funded projects. A copy of this document was provided to the House Libraries.
	From 2008-09 funding to support local authorities' work to prevent violent extremism is paid through the non-ring-fenced area-based grant. While we continue to work very closely with local authorities, both directly and through government offices, we cannot require them to report on the use of their funding.

Prisoners: Parole

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners serving life and indeterminate sentences have not had their cases reviewed by the Parole Board at a point three years before the expiry of their judicial tariff.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what action the Parole Board and the Prison Service are taking to prevent delays in indeterminate parole reviews.

Lord Bach: Under current policy, every life and indeterminate-sentence prisoner serving a sentence with a tariff of six years or more is entitled to have their case reviewed by the Parole Board three years prior to the expiry of their tariff. The purpose of this review is to enable prisoners who have made good progress to be transferred to open conditions prior to the expiry of tariff, in order that the risk of harm they present may be tested in open conditions, to inform the Parole Board's decision on or post tariff expiry as to whether they might be released into the community.
	To be able to confirm the number of prisoners who have not had their cases reviewed by the Parole Board at a point three years before the expiry of their judicial tariff would require a manual audit of all records of all such prisoners serving a tariff of six years or more. To undertake a manual exercise of this scale would incur disproportionate cost. However, modifications which are currently being made to the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) Public Protection Unit Database (PPUD) will enable such information to be stored centrally, albeit in respect of those prisoners whose pre-tariff parole review commences on or after 1 April 2009 and I will write to provide you with that information at that time.
	The National Offender Management Service, working in conjunction with the Parole Board, is devising a new and integrated parole process for considering the cases of prisoners serving life and indeterminate public protection sentences. The new system, which is due to be introduced from 1 April, is aimed at improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the process, with the performance of every agency being monitored centrally. This process brings for the first time a unified timetable with an overall end to end target, monitored by performance on PPUD.

Prisoners: Parole

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to decide changes to the Parole Rules to give greater flexibility in setting up panels.

Lord Bach: The Parole Board (Amendment) Rules 2009 were laid before the House on Monday 2 March.
	The amendments will provide the Parole Board greater flexibility in the deployment of its resources so as to cope with an increasing workload and reduce delays, particularly in relation to the appointment of oral panels to consider the release of individual prisoners.

Prisoners: Parole

Lord Chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoner hearings have been postponed by the Parole Board in the past 12 months; and for how long, on average, they are postponed.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the reasons for the postponement of prisoner hearings by the Parole Board.
	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the cost of postponement of prisoner hearings by the Parole Board.

Lord Bach: In the current financial year there have been 479 cases which were listed for hearing but postponed before the due date. In addition there were 339 cases which went to a hearing but were adjourned or deferred on the day.
	The average amount of time for cases that have been postponed to be heard is 3.9 months.
	There are a number of reasons why prisoners' hearings are postponed. In the report Protecting the Public: The Work of the Parole Board published by the NAO in March 2008, the main reasons were identified as l. Incomplete dossier. 2. The Board could not arrange a panel. 3. Witness not available. 4. Key documents arrived too late. 5. Prisoner transferred to a different establishment. 6. Prisoner to complete a behavioural/educational course.
	The cost of postponement of prisoner hearings by the Parole Board is difficult to calculate given the broad variety of circumstances in individual cases. However, the NAO calculated that failures to release on time and the cost of administrative delays amounted to £3 million for the nine months from 1 September 2006 to 1 June 2007.

Prisoners: Parole

Lord Chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether staffing levels at the Parole Board have risen in accordance with the increase in the prison population since 1997.

Lord Bach: In 1997-98 the average number of staff employed was 46 and this has risen in 2007-08 to 96 (108 per cent increase).
	In 1997-98 the average prison population, as published in Home Office statistics was 61,114. The most recently available comparative figure is for 2006-07 and is 79,734 (30.5 per cent increase).

Prisoners: Parole

Lord Chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many long-term prisoners there are in England and Wales.

Lord Bach: At the end of January 2009 (latest available), there were 24,192 and 12,093 prisoners serving determinate long-term and indeterminate sentences respectively in all prison establishments in England and Wales.
	Long-term prison sentences for the purpose of the answer mean prisoners serving sentences of four years or more.
	These figures are taken from Table 1 within the Ministry of Justice statistical bulletin, Population in Custody Monthly Tables, January 2009, England and Wales, copies of which can be found in the Libraries of the House and at www.justice.gov.uk/publications/populationincustody.htm.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Sentences

Lord Chadlington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps have been taken to ensure long-term prisoners are prepared for a return to the community when they have served their sentences.

Lord Bach: The Government have implemented the offender management model for the management of offenders in custody who are assessed as presenting a high risk of serious harm, are considered a prolific or other priority offender or who are serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection. These groups are highly likely to be serving a long sentence. The offender management model requires a community-based offender manager to oversee the sentence from start to finish, paying particular attention to the transition from custody to the community. The offender manager prepares a sentence plan to cover the custodial period of the sentence, ensuring that the offender receives the interventions required to enable him or her to resettle in the community. Following release, long-term prisoners are subject to a period of licence when they will be supervised by the probation service.
	Subject to the requirements of the sentence plan, which is based on an individual assessment of needs, prisons participate in a range of accredited programmes designed to tackle offending behaviour and substance abuse. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) works in partnership with the Learning and Skills Council and is engaged with employers nationally, regionally, and locally to offer offenders education and training which will help them find employment on release. Subject to a risk assessment, prisoners approaching the end of a long sentence will be released on temporary licence to undertake training, community or paid work, to attend job interviews and make other preparations for work and accommodation on release. There are also a range of short programmes which help prisoners with personal finance and family relationship issues. Prisoners receive help with meeting accommodation needs. NOMS is currently working with key stakeholders to pilot an initiative to enable prisoners to open bank accounts while in custody. NOMS also works with the Department for Work and Pensions and Jobcentre Plus to ensure that prisoners due to be released have appointments made with local jobcentres and benefits offices. And there are arrangements in place to ensure continuity of healthcare for any ongoing medical needs.
	In 2007-08, the Prison Service exceeded its targets for the percentage of prisoners released with employment (109 per cent against target) and accommodation (115 per cent) on release.

Prisons: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current prison population in Northern Ireland; and by what percentage it is different from the same dates in 2008, 2007 and 2006.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: The Northern Ireland prison population at 3 March 2009 and the percentage increases since the same date in 2008, 2007 and 2006 are as shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Population 3 March 2009 % Population increase since 3 March 2008 % Population increase since 3 March 2007 % Population increase since 3 March 2006 
			 1494 0.7% 2.80 7.9%

Prisons: Population

Baroness Warsi: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the prison population in England and Wales in each of the past five years, broken down by (a) ethnic origin, (b) religious affiliation, (c) gender, and (d) age.

Lord Bach: Available information on the breakdowns requested of the prison population in England and Wales from February 2003 to June 2007 (latest available) can be found in the tables below.
	These figures are taken from published tables within the Ministry of Justice statistical bulletin Offender Management Caseload Statistics, copies of which can be found in the Libraries of the House and at www.justice.gov.uk/publications/prisonandprobation.htm
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	Table C: Population in prison establishments (1) under sentence (2) by age and sex, England and Wales, June 2003-June 2007
	
		
			  2003  2004  2005  
			  Male Female Male Female Male Female 
			 15-17 1,724 57 1,706 58 1,780 56 
			 18-20 5,740 305 5,585 300 5,598 269 
			 21-24 10,112 670 10,095 632 9,949 612 
			 25-29 10,441 702 10,738 727 10,982 679 
			 30-39 16,304 1,100 17,021 1,056 16,866 1,072 
			 40-49 7,252 492 7,858 507 8,744 586 
			 50-59 2,975 123 3,013 152 3,263 179 
			 60 and over 1,413 28 1,508 20 1,599 24 
		
	
	
		
			  2006  2007  
			  Male Female Male Female 
			 15-17 1,814 50 1,827 56 
			 18-20 5,720 272 6,358 280 
			 21-24 9,624 552 9,864 475 
			 25-29 11,361 708 11,665 662 
			 30-39 16,851 1,094 16,621 1,014 
			 40-49 9,368 606 10,106 612 
			 50-59 3,517 189 3,831 203 
			 60 and over 1,725 40 1,978 49 
		
	
	(1) Excludes police cells.
	(2) Including persons committed in default of payment of a fine.
	(3) Data within the table are taken from the Ministry of Justice Statistical bulletin Offender Management Caseload Statistics, 2007. Tables 7.3 refer.
	Data Sources and Quality
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	Table A. Population in prison establishments (1) sex and ethnic group, 28 February 2003-30 June 2007
	
		
			  2003(2)  
			  February  
			  Males Females 
			 Total 67,937 4,349 
			 White 51,427 3005 
			 Black 10850 1.101 
			 South Asian 2.316 36 
			 Chinese & Other 3266 206 
			 Unrecorded 78 1 
		
	
	
		
			  2004 June  2005 June  2006 June  2007 June  
			  Males Females Males Females Males Females Males Females 
			 Total 70,036 4,452 71,676 4,514 73,519 4,463 75,451 4,283 
			 White 48.275 3,007 53,608 3,217 53,972 3,165 55,238 3,012 
			 Mixed 1,657 202 1,934 223 2.108 191 2,250 192 
			 Asian or Asian British 3,756 80 4,459 104 5,010 107 5,172 116 
			 Black or Black British 9,234 809 10,294 875 10,922 883 11,186 830 
			 Chinese or Other ethnic group 636 56 790 73 873 81 1,040 113 
			 Not stated 215 8 246 10 288 21 268 12 
			 Unrecorded 79 2 39 3 61 0 55 1 
			 1991 Census ethnic codes 6,184 287 305 9 284 15 242  
		
	
	(1) Excludes police cells.
	(2) Prior to 2004 the 1991 census ethnic codes were used. The Census 2001 categories replaced the 9+1 categories of the 1991 census with 16+1 categories. Because of these changes comparisons between the two classifications should not be made.
	(3) Data within the tables are taken from the Ministry of Justice Statistical bulletin Offender Management Caseload Statistics. Tables 8.4 for 2005 and 7.21 for 2007 refer.
	Data Sources and Quality
	These figures have been drawnfrom administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
	Table B: Population in prison establishments (1) by religion (2), June 2003-June 2007
	
		
			  Number of persons 
			  2003 June 2004 June 2005 June 2006 June 2007 
			 Total 73,657 74,488 76,190 77,982 79,734 
			 All Christian 42,463 41,438 41.154 40,827 41,406 
			 Anglican 26,055 24,885 24,168 23,590 23,353 
			 Free Church 1,418 1,299 1,258 1,193 1,224 
			 Roman Catholic 12,750 12,984 13,304 13,340 13,912 
			 Other Christian 2.239 2.270 2,424 2,703 2,918 
			 Buddhist 947 1.133 1,237 1.432 1,609 
			 Hindu 339 342 370 368 357 
			 Jewish 184 181 197 187 231 
			 Muslim 6,136 6,571 7,246 8,243 8,864 
			 Sikh 490 498 543 579 608 
			 Other religious groups 207 282 304 397 419 
			 Non recognised 296 324 309 350 337 
			 No religion 22,584 23,709 24,826 25,598 25.900 
			 Not recorded 13 10 3 2 4 
		
	
	(1) Excludes police cells.
	(2) Figures are recorded by the Prison Service on the Local Inmate Database (LIDS).
	(3) Data taken from Table 7.25 of the Ministry of Justice Statistical bulletin Offender Management Caseload Statistics, 2007.
	Data Sources and Quality
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Public Bodies

Lord Selsdon: To ask Her Majesty's Government which members of the House of Lords are appointees to the non-departmental public bodies listed under "Communities and Local Government" in annex A to the report of the Cabinet Office entitled Public Bodies 2008; and what was their appointment and individual remuneration.

Baroness Andrews: This information is not held centrally. Information on board membership and remuneration is published in individual bodies' annual reports and accounts.

Public Bodies

Lord Selsdon: To ask Her Majesty's Government which members of the House of Lords are appointees to the non-departmental public bodies listed under "Food Standards Agency" in annex A to the report of the Cabinet Office entitled Public Bodies 2008; and what was their appointment and individual remuneration.

Lord Darzi of Denham: The Food Standards Agency is responsible for seven non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), six of which are covered by the report for the period up to 31 March 2008. A seventh NDPB was established in April 2008. There were and are no Peers appointed to any of these NDPBs.

Public Expenditure

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Myners on 13 January (WA 137) concerning the definitions of public sector current expenditure and public sector net investment, whether they will disaggregate pay and other current expenditure when referring to total spending on programmes such as social security, education and health care.

Lord Myners: Public spending by both function and economic category has now been published on the Treasury's website at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pes _function.htm.
	Functional categories are based on the UN classification of the functions of government (COFOG), the international standard. Economic categories are based on the treatment of spending in the national accounts. These figures differ from departmental spending analyses because they include local government and public corporations as well as central government, and devolved Administrations as well as English departments.
	Not all public spending can be allocated to a function so these figures are based on an aggregate called total expenditure on services. This is spending within total managed expenditure (TME) that can be allocated by function. It covers most expenditure included in TME but excludes some accounting and other adjustments that cannot be allocated to a function. More information on total expenditure on services can be found in appendix E of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2008—PESA—available at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/pespub_pesa08.htm.

Questions for Written Answer

Lord Jopling: To ask the Leader of the House what new steps she has taken to ensure that Questions for Written Answer are answered within the target two weeks; and what were the total numbers which did not meet the target for each day in the week beginning 23 February.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: I place the utmost importance on ensuring that Questions are answered in a timely manner, and have taken the matter up personally with Front-Bench colleagues and relevant Permanent Secretaries. My office wrote recently to departmental private offices to reinforce that message.
	During the week of 23 February, the following numbers of Questions were unanswered:
	
		
			 Monday 23 February Tuesday 24 February Wednesday 25 February Thursday 26 February 
			 Total due for answer = 37 Total due for answer = 28 Total due for answer = 55 Total due for answer = 53 
			 Total unanswered = 25 Total unanswered = 13 Total unanswered= 35 Total unanswered = 28

Science: Chemistry Grants

Lord Dykes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what conclusions they have reached following discussions with chemical scientists on countering falls in the number of successful first-time chemistry grants in the United Kingdom.

Lord Drayson: The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has, in response to concerns from the research community, reintroduced a financial cap on its first grants scheme so as to be able to support more researchers early in their careers. This follows an increase in demand for these grants and in the average amount of funding being sought. Further details about this change are available at www.epsrc.ac.uk/Content/News/FirstGrantsChanges.htm.

St Andrews Agreement

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 11 February (WA 206) concerning provisions in the St Andrews agreement relating to cross-border implementation bodies, whether the review outlined in paragraph 19 of Annex A has taken place; if so, what was the result; or if not, when it will take place.

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: I understand that a review, as set out in paragraph 19 of annexe A of the St Andrews agreement, is currently taking place. This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Executive and the Irish Government.